Phonograph record vending machine



4, 1954 E. s. GERBER 3,143,199

PHONOGRAPH RECORD VENDING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ELIOT S. GERBER ATTOR S Aug. 4, 1964 E. s. GERBER 3,143,199

PHONOGRAPH RECORD VENDING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIHW I Hlllllllllll Illlllilllllllll [ll||Hl\lllllIl 56 f4 55 53 INPUT 5 ourpur VENTOR Rx ELI s. GERBER United States Patent 3,143,199 PHONOGRAPH RECORD VENDIVG MACHINE Eliot S. Gerber, New York, N.Y., assignor to Mayday, Inc, Newark, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 289,220 1 Claim. (Cl. 194-15) The present invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to an automatic machine for the vending of phonograph records.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an automatic vending machine which plays records selected by customers and presses records for sale.

In accordance with the present invention, the record blanks are pressed by thin fiat stampers (masters). The stampers are automatically selected from a group of stampers upon the insertion of the proper coins and the stampers press the record blank. The same stampers are used for the sound reproduction as well as for the stamping of record blanks.

In operation, a customer places the proper amount of coins in a slot and selects the recording he wishes to hear. An automatic transfer arm takes the selected stamper and places it on a phonograph turntable. A special phonograph arm is automatically positioned on the stamper and the stamper is rotated by the turntable. A transducer in the arm changes the depressions and raised portions of the stamper into electrical signals. These electrical signals are 180 out-of-phase compared to the electrical signals produced by the usual phonograph record. A phase reversing circuit changes the picked-up electrical signals into the usual type of signal, which is then amplified and lead to a loudspeaker.

The customer who desires a record pressed in the machine places the correct amount of coins in the slot and makes his selection. A transfer arm automatically places one or two stampers between the platens of the press. Another transfer arm places a record blank between the stampers and the press closes. The press is opened, the finished record removed for delivery to the customer, and the stampers returned to their stacked position.

In a preferred embodiment, the turntable is positioned on the platen so that a single transfer arm may be used to place the record for sound reproduction and for pressing record blanks.

Other objectives of the present invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a cut-away front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a frontal enlarged cross-sectional view of a suitable photongraph needle fixture for use in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side enlarged view, cross-sectional, of a different type of transducer for use in the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a suitable phase-inversion circuit.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a case 10, which may be of the same approximate size as present-day jukeboxes, has a strong steel framework 11 having a top cross member 12. A fixed platen 13 is attached to the cross member 12. A hydraulic cylinder 14 is fixed to the floor of the case and is fed from hydraulic line 15 which leads to hydraulic reservoir 16. The pressure of the system is maintained by the pump 17 which is driven by electric motor 18. An extendable telescoping ram 19 is the piston of hydraulic cylinder 14. The platen 29 is affixed at the top of ram 19. A small phonograph motor 21 is positioned within the open bottom portion of platen 20. The top of the platen revolves on the shaft 22 which rests within thrust bearings 23. The shaft 22 is driven by motor 21.

The bracket fixture 25 is positioned on cross member 12. The bracket fixture 25 is arranged so that a swingable phonograph arm 26 may be positioned so that its needle 27 plays on a stamper placed on the top of platen 29. The swinging of arm 26 is controlled by a motor within fixture 25. An electric line leads from a transducer within arm 26 to amplifier and phase inverter 29 and another line leads from the amplifier 29 to loudspeaker 30.

A mounting rod 31 attaches cross member 12 to stack support member 32. A plurality of metal stampers 34 are individually mounted in frames 33. When a stamper is selected for playing or for pressing, it is automatically swung by the mechanism 35 from its stacked position to parallel with the dotted position 36. The ram 19 is then raised until the stamper rests on the turntable. The stamper is free to be lifted out of its holding frame 33. This type of device is well known and is described in greater detail in US. Patents 2,321,402 and 2,002,236.

A geared track 36 is attached to frame member 11. A traveling member 37 is attached to track 36 so that it travels vertically along it driven by a motor within the member. A telescoping arm 38 is attached to member 37 and extended and retracted by it. Flexible fingers 39 at the end of arm 38 are adapted to hold and release record blacks picked from stack 40. The arm 38 picks up a record from stack 40, deposits it on top of a stamper on platen 20, picks up the blank after its first stamping, turns it over by means of revolving member 41, redeposits the blank on the platen, removes it after the second pressing and deposits the pressed record in chute 42 whose opening is outside of case 10.

The needle 27 is mounted as shown in FIG. 3 so that vertical pressure exerted against the needle is transmitted to the transducer within cartridge 49. This transducer may be of the conventional piezoelectric or variable reluctance type. The end of the needle 27, in place of the usual sharp point, has a U-shaped or V-shaped groove. The groove of needle 27 rides on the raised portion 44 of the stamper. In FIG. 3 the stamper is shown in partial enlarged cross-section, the grooves 45 and 46 of the stamper corresponding to the raised portions of the ordinary phonograph record. The grooves 45 and 46 on the stamper are of uniform depth, while its raised portions 43 and 44 are varied. Raised portions 43 and 44 correspond to the grooves in the ordinary phonograph record. Two needle members 47 and 48 are fixedly attached to cartridge 49 and ride within the grooves 45 and 46. The needles 47 and 48 are held within the grooves by a spring (not shown). The grooves are uniform and level and the needles ride smoothly within them to guide the transducer needle 27 over the surface of the stampers projections 43 and 44. Viewed from above there is, of course, only one continuous spiral projection and one continuous spiral groove parallel to the single projection on the stamper.

An alternative to the use of the phonograph needle is shown in FIG. 4, which is a view taken sideways along a groove of the stamper. As shown, the groove 46 is level and the projection 44 varies in height along its length. An elongated guide member 5% rides on the bottom of groove 46 to guide the cartridge member 49a. An electric light source 51 within the cartridge is projected on the surface of the upraised projection 44. The light beam 53 from source 51 is reflected from the surface of the projection 44 on to the photo-transistor or photo-responsive electron tube 52. The variation in reflected light intensity directly corresponds to variations in the height of the projection 44. Amplification of the electrical signal produced by the photo-transistor 52 provides an electrical signal which varies directly with the height of the projection 44 and consequently varies with the sound on the stamper.

A suitable circuit for inverting the phase of the electrical signals from the transducer is shown in FIG. 5. The resistors R and R are equal and a triode 60 is the only tube in the circuit. Other suitable phase inversion circuits are described in Vacuum Tube Amplifiers by Valley and Wallman (1948) at pages l05107; Radio Engineering by Terman (1947) at pages 301- 303; and Electron Tube Circuits by Seely (1958) at pages 332-335. Conventional amplifiers and pre-amplifiers are used after and before, respectively, the phase inversion circuit and in series with it.

In operation, a customer, if he wishes just to hear a record, places the proper amount of coins in slot 53. He selects the desired record by pushing a button on the bank of record selection buttons 54. The selection mechanism 35 swings the selected stamper 34, within its frame 33, from its original position to its position parallel with dotted position 36. The ram 19, which originally is in its completely unextended position, is raised by means of the hydraulic cylinder 14. The platen 20 lifts the stamper 34 out of its frame 33 and the ram stops in approximately the position shown in FIG. 1. The motor within fixture 25 swings phonograph arm 26 until its needle 27 is positioned at the start of the stamper. The turntable is driven so that the stamper rotates. The raised circular spiral portion of the stamper, which corresponds to the groove of an ordinary record, is translated into electrical signals by the transducer within arm 26. These electrical signals are amplified, turned 180 out-of-phase by the inversion circuit, and fed to the loud speaker 30 which broadcasts the recorded sound. At the conclusion of the selection, the arm 26 is automatically swung back to its original position, the ram 19 retracted until the stamper 34 is re-fitted into its frame 33, and the frame swung back by mechanism 35 to its original position.

When a customer desires to purchase a record, he places the proper amount of coins in coin slot 55 and makes his selection of the two sides of therecord by depressing buttons 56. The first stamper selected, within its frame 34, is swung out by mechanism 35. The ram 19 is raised by hydraulic cylinder 14 until about the position shown in FIG. 1. The traveling mechanism 37 moves along its track 36 until its arm 38 is positioned on the top record blank in the record blank stack 40. The fingers 39 of arm 38 pick up the top record blank and the arm 38 is extended until the record blank is over the platen 2B. Fingers 39 are than flexed and the record blank dropped on the platen. The ram 19 continues upward until the record blank is pressed between the stamper and the fixed platen 13. The press is opened until it returns to the positionshown in FIG. 1. The telescoping arm 38 is extended, fingers 39 pick up the record and the ram 19 is further depressed. As the ram 19 is being depressed, the stamper 34 on platen 20 is caught and held by, its frame 33. The frame is then swung back to its original position by mechanism 35. After the ram is completely depressed, the second stamper selected is swung out by mechanism 35 and the ram is again raised. The ram stops in the position shown in FIG. 1 and the record blank, which has been turned over by revolving member 41, is again placed on platen 20. The press again closes so that the stamper impresses its surface on the second side of the record blank. The press platens are opened, the arm 38 removes the completed record from the platen and deposits it in the slot 41. The ram is depressed, the second stamper returned to its frame and the frame swung back to its original position.

The ram continues to be depressed so that it is ready for the next recording or pressing operation. In this embodiment the stampers are placed in their frames so that their recorded (grooved) sides are facing upwardly.

Modifications may be made in this invention within the scope of the subjoined claim. For example, (1) other types of transfer arm mechanisms may be used to place the stampers on the platen, (2) the platen and the transfer arm may have electromagnets to hold the stampers if they are of metal, (3) metal stampers may be made by precision investment casting methods so that they are inexpensive and accurate, (4) although two stacks of stampers are shown, more stacks or one stack may be used, (5) the platens may be heated, (6) the record blank may be in the form of plastic powder or a sheet of plastic, (7) the transfer arm may position two stampers on the platen with the record blank between them so that the press is only closed once to press both sides of the record, (8) the stampers may have recorded sound on both their sides and a transfer arm to turn them over, (9) the stampers may be made of a hard plastic such as Du Ponts Delrin, and (10) a phonograph turntable Which is completely separate from the platens may be used.

I claim:

A record playing and manufacturing machine comprising, in combination a plurality of thin stampers having sound recorded on them, a rotatable phonograph turntable, transfer means to select a stamper and position the selected stamper on the turntable, a selection switch, a coin operated switch connecting the selection switch to the transfer means,

a phonograph arm, means to position the phonograph arm on the stamper positioned on the turntable, a transducer to convert sounds recorded on the stamper into electrical signals, a phase inversion circuit to convert the signals out-of-phase, anamplifier to amplify the signals, a loudspeaker connected to the amplifier,

a second selection switch, a movable press platen .and a cooperating second press platen, coin operated means connected to the selection switch, a source of record blank material, means to deposit the record material between the said platenss, means to operate the said platens so that they come together to form an impressed record, and means to remove the com pleted pressed record from between the platens,

wherein upon depositing of a coin and operation of the first selection switch the transfer means positions the selected stamper on the turntable and the sound recorded on the stamper is broadcast by the loudspeaker, and

wherein, upon depositing of another coin and operation of the second selection switch, the transfer means positions the second selected stamper on one of the platens, record blank material is positioned on the selected stamper, the press platens are closed, the record pressed, the platens opened and the record removed.

No references cited. 

